Talking Points....
Connect Fellowship 11/11/2025
This week’s group discussion will focus on Pastor Doug’s riveting series, "Take Heart in a Season of Fear."
I. Part 2
A. You get to choose your conversation.
1. Your internal dialog matters.
2. Psalm 27:6-8 - Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
3. What things have you done, that have been beneficial in changing your internal dialog to align with God?
B. We need to acknowledge the bad stuff, decide to seek the Lord, fix our heart on Him, and then we can follow our heart.
1. Psalm 112:6-8 - Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
2. How has acknowledging the bad stuff helped you to seek the Lord and fix your heart on Him?
C. God's will happens when you surrender your will to His will.
1. 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2. Share how you have been able to find peace because of surrendering your will to His.
D. Don't let fear take your voice.
1. Acts 18:9&10 - One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
2. Have you ever let fear keep you from saying what God wanted you to say? What did you do to change that?
E. Wait for the Lord.
1. Psalm 27:14 - Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
2. Be strong and take heart while waiting.
3. What should we do while waiting on the Lord, to keep us from giving in to fear?
F. You get to choose to take your heart back.
1. You can't change what happened, but you can do something about it.
2. What are you going to do differently, to take your heart back, as a result of the things you have learned from this series?
II. Part 3
A. Don't turn a molehill into a mountain.
1. Most of the things we worry about, create other problems that we didn't know to worry about, when we started to worry about the stuff we weren't supposed to worry about.
2. When you find yourself worrying and turning a molehill into a mountain, what things do you do to change that?
B. Return to your place of strength.
1. Zechariah 9:9,11&12 - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to the stronghold,
You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore double to you.
2. What things have helped you return to your place of strength when going through challenges?
C. Biblical hope is the joyful anticipation for good.
1. The number one cry of the heart is hope.
2. According to the Word, hope comes prepackaged in our blood covenant with Jesus.
3. Share a time when you were able to joyfully anticipate good when going through challenges, and how that was able to help you deal with those difficulties.
D. Any area of your life where you feel has no hope, is under the influence of a lie.
1. When you feel hopeless because of the enemy's lies, what do you do to focus on the truth of God?
E. We need to trust God while going through a bad season.
1. Sometimes we think if we just trust God, that our bad season will go away.
2. Psalm 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
3. What helps you to keep trusting God when your bad situation isn't going away?
E. Our covenant causes us to reinterpret our circumstance.
1. Our covenant opens our eyes to see that the enemy we feel surrounding us, is actually being surrounded by God's army.
2. Share a time when focusing on His covenant, helped you to see the power He has over the enemy.
F. The enemy tries to disgrace what grace has already provided for us.
1. When you find the enemy trying to lie to you, what have you been able to do to remember the truth of God?
G. Our covenant will always cause us to reinterpret our circumstance.
1. 1 Samuel 17:45-46 - Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
2. How has remembering your covenant helped you to look at your circumstances differently?
H. Our public victories mean nothing, if we keep losing our private battles.
1. David beat Goliath, but lost to Bathsheba.
2. When you are having a private battle, what should you do about to make sure that you don't do the wrong thing?
I. Don't forget what season you are in.
1. Don't forget who and whose you are.
2. 2 Samuel 11:1-2 - It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.
3. What things do you do to remember who and whose you are, when you are having challenges?
J. Reflection time.
1. What has stood out the most to you regarding this series, "Take Heart in the Season of Fear?"
This week’s group discussion will focus on Pastor Doug’s riveting series, "Take Heart in a Season of Fear."
I. Part 2
A. You get to choose your conversation.
1. Your internal dialog matters.
2. Psalm 27:6-8 - Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
3. What things have you done, that have been beneficial in changing your internal dialog to align with God?
B. We need to acknowledge the bad stuff, decide to seek the Lord, fix our heart on Him, and then we can follow our heart.
1. Psalm 112:6-8 - Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
2. How has acknowledging the bad stuff helped you to seek the Lord and fix your heart on Him?
C. God's will happens when you surrender your will to His will.
1. 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2. Share how you have been able to find peace because of surrendering your will to His.
D. Don't let fear take your voice.
1. Acts 18:9&10 - One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
2. Have you ever let fear keep you from saying what God wanted you to say? What did you do to change that?
E. Wait for the Lord.
1. Psalm 27:14 - Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
2. Be strong and take heart while waiting.
3. What should we do while waiting on the Lord, to keep us from giving in to fear?
F. You get to choose to take your heart back.
1. You can't change what happened, but you can do something about it.
2. What are you going to do differently, to take your heart back, as a result of the things you have learned from this series?
II. Part 3
A. Don't turn a molehill into a mountain.
1. Most of the things we worry about, create other problems that we didn't know to worry about, when we started to worry about the stuff we weren't supposed to worry about.
2. When you find yourself worrying and turning a molehill into a mountain, what things do you do to change that?
B. Return to your place of strength.
1. Zechariah 9:9,11&12 - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to the stronghold,
You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore double to you.
2. What things have helped you return to your place of strength when going through challenges?
C. Biblical hope is the joyful anticipation for good.
1. The number one cry of the heart is hope.
2. According to the Word, hope comes prepackaged in our blood covenant with Jesus.
3. Share a time when you were able to joyfully anticipate good when going through challenges, and how that was able to help you deal with those difficulties.
D. Any area of your life where you feel has no hope, is under the influence of a lie.
1. When you feel hopeless because of the enemy's lies, what do you do to focus on the truth of God?
E. We need to trust God while going through a bad season.
1. Sometimes we think if we just trust God, that our bad season will go away.
2. Psalm 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
3. What helps you to keep trusting God when your bad situation isn't going away?
E. Our covenant causes us to reinterpret our circumstance.
1. Our covenant opens our eyes to see that the enemy we feel surrounding us, is actually being surrounded by God's army.
2. Share a time when focusing on His covenant, helped you to see the power He has over the enemy.
F. The enemy tries to disgrace what grace has already provided for us.
1. When you find the enemy trying to lie to you, what have you been able to do to remember the truth of God?
G. Our covenant will always cause us to reinterpret our circumstance.
1. 1 Samuel 17:45-46 - Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
2. How has remembering your covenant helped you to look at your circumstances differently?
H. Our public victories mean nothing, if we keep losing our private battles.
1. David beat Goliath, but lost to Bathsheba.
2. When you are having a private battle, what should you do about to make sure that you don't do the wrong thing?
I. Don't forget what season you are in.
1. Don't forget who and whose you are.
2. 2 Samuel 11:1-2 - It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.
3. What things do you do to remember who and whose you are, when you are having challenges?
J. Reflection time.
1. What has stood out the most to you regarding this series, "Take Heart in the Season of Fear?"